Green corn cutter



June 7, 1938.

F. W. SELCSKE v A GREEN CORN CUTTER Filed Sept. 22, 1934 SSheets-Sheet 1 VII/7 June 7,1938. F, w ELOSKE l 2,119,945 Y GREEN' CORN CUTTER I Filed Sept. 22, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 7, 1938. F. w. sELosKE 2,119,945,

' GREEN CORN' CUTTER Filed Sept. 22, 19254 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 7, 1938 2,119,945Y GREEN CORN CUTTER. l

Frederick W. Seloske, to Food Machinery Hoopeston, Ill., assignor Corporation, San Jose,

Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application September 22, 1934, Serial No. '745,145

' 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in green corn cutters and particularly to the type of green corn cutter illustrated and. described in the copending Schmidt application Serial No. 635,679,

now Patent 2,034,993, issued March 24, 1936.

In the Schmidt patent there are shown rotary cutter heads carrying cutters for removing the kernels from the cobs and also carrying gauging devices to center the ears to the cutters as they are presented thereto by the ear feeding devices.

The gauging devices are mounted on the same rotary head as the kernel cutters but on separated members carried by the head.

It has been found that a slight disadvantage ensues from this manner of mounting the gauging devices since it requires extra parts for carrying and adjusting the gauges and numerous joints between the gauging devices and the cutters.

The present improvement to the cutter head consists in mounting the ear centering and gauging devices directly on the cutter Shanks so that they move integral with the cutters as they are expanded to accommodate the different size ears.

This manner of mounting eliminates all joints and connections between the gauges and the cutters and permits a much closer and ner adjustment than is expedient with the former arrangement and removes all possible changes due to centrifugal forces.

In this manner of mounting the gauges directly on the cutter Shanks also concentrates all of the centrifugal forces set up in the cutters and gauges into one piece of mechanism and causes the gauges and cutters to always expand in exactly the right ratio so that the kernels are cut from the cobs in the manner desired and the gauging cannot shift relative to the cutters in any manner.

AIt is therefore an object of the invention to provide a unit cutter head for removing the kernels from the cobs wherein the gauging devices for centering and guiding theears into the cutters are mounted directly on the shanks of the cutters so that no lost motion can occur between these parts.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cutter head for removing the kernelsvfrom the cobs wherein gauging devices for centering and guiding the ears into the cutters are mounted directly on the VShanks of the cutters and having adjustment means somewhat radially from the center of rotation of the cutter head to thereby control the depth of cut.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cutter head for cutting the kernels from the (Cl. IBO- 9) cobs of green corn wherein the cutters and ear Y gauges are both mounted on a removable member for easy and rapid interchange of cutters and gauges when necessary.

With such objects in View as Well as other advantages inherent inthe invention it is to be understood that applicant is not necessarily bound to the exact structure and arrangement shown; that the shown and described devices are more or less illustrative; are not necessarily drawn to scaleand that some parts may be more or less exaggerated in size and arrangement to more clearly illustrate the creative part of the invention.

Reference being now had to the drawings where a clearer understanding of the invention will be had. Y

Figure 1 is a general plan view of a machine embodying the improvements.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional elevation taken on substantially the line `2--2 of Figure 1.`

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the cutter head showing the placement of the centering gauges on the Shanks of the cutters.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation taken on substantially the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan of the cutter head taken on substantially the line 5 5 of Figure 4, but rotated through showing the open spring pockets for the springs that control the tension on the cutter movement. Y

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on substantially the line 6-6 of Figure 5 and shows the cutter head parts at a section substantially 90 degrees from that of Figure 4.

The improvements disclosed in this application have been applied to a green corn cutter employing two high speed rotary heads designated I and 2 mounted in fixed housings 3 and rotated by means of gears from a source of drive not shown, 40 meshing with the gears 4 forming a part of each unit head. The gears 4 are ring gears and rotate on the inserted ring bearings 5 which are secured in channels 6 of the housings 3.

A removable circular plate l with a large cen- `tral aperture 8 is carried by the ring gears 4 and is loosely positioned in the recess in the ring gear for easy and instant removal. During operation this plate l is held in operative relation in the machine by the drive dogs 9 pivoted to the ring gear 4 at I9, the dogs 9 normally resting against l the inclined surface I2 of the plate l.

The kernal cutters I3 are pivoted to the removable plate 1 as at I4. They each have a slot I5 shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, in which rests andunobstructed path provided for the mover-M V the pins II,rseel also Figure 4. The pins I6 extend into the surface of the plate 1 into the recesses I1 and bear against the compression springs I8 which tend to hold the cutter blades in a closed position and under a predetermined tension, the closed position is substantially that of Figures 3 and 5. A ring 1', Fig. 4, is mounted in an annular recess in ring 1. The pins I6 extend through-ring' 'l" which is movablerelative tof ring 1. AThis causes simultaneous movement yof'all the cutter blades.Y

The gauging devices Vfor centering and guiding the ears into the cutters are designated at I9,`

Figure`3, and are secured to the shanks of the alternate'cutters I3 as at2l l by Vmeans 'of the screws 2I and are capableof radial adjustment by means of the slots or grooves 22 seen best in r Figure and Figure 6. I'hisjmanner'of :mounting the gauges directly on the Shanks of the cutters and offset from a radial line through the cutters eliminates all jointsgandloose connections and saves'many parts` in manufacture and makes the adjustment relative tothe cutting edges of the cutters very simple -and -eflici`ent, Vand by mounting theMgaugeson alternate cutters'and having each gaugeoverlaptwo cutters a saving in partsrand rotating'weight'is effected, anda free ment of the? cutkernelsfas they areV thrown from the cutters.Y Y y In the-operationof machines of this 'type at high speeds and high efliciency ithas been found g that more orfless of the starch juices of the cut kernels find their Way into the bearings of the gears inthe housing 3 and after ajtime somewhat gumsup thebearings and adjacentiparts.

To render these juicesas harmless as possible Water is fed into kthe spaces 31 ,Figure 2, a drop at a time during operationby-means of the connections andthe sightrfeeds 39, the exact amount being controlled by suitable,valves140;v Oilissupplied Ato the bearings v-at the necessary intervals through the plug holes 4I. 'Ihisffeature'isnot claimed' in this application Ybut is;-claime dfand.

shown in -a copending application SerialrNo.

745,1l8rled by CLA.r Hoyof even-date with this application. Y Y Y j f Y Itis believedthat an 4operative descriptionlfrom nowon will' disclose 4theimportant features of this improvement in -a better. manner. w

Operation The foregoing description' practically covers the `main` operative features of "this improved green corn cutter. The hu'sked'ears areplaced in the ytrough 24 either by hand Y'or any suitable auto- 'matic feeder and as thech'ain '23 is runningcontinuouslyfthe ears Yirrimediately-'move forward at jquite a high lineal speed and if the'elevation ad-V Y 60 justment of 'the sprocket 33ji's correct for the diameter Vears being `runthe 'point'of the ear Vis' entered into `the feed rolls 42fand immediately thrust into the"v gauges I9 'and guided ,byr them intothefcutterslgsj Due to the` high rotative speed `of the cutters and gauges: andjthe feed rolls 42 itis highly important that the vaxial align.- ment of the a'dvancing'earwith the` center of rotation -ofy the `gaugeszand cuttersbe' Vas near'perffect asipossible, because i f ,the point of the ear doesfnotenter the feed-A` ro1ls'ff'42 Yproperly jit will noty enter the gauges I9 or'thecuttersl properly andtheY result YWillbe that the kernelsVV Will be more or less crushed and damaged and they will notbe'uniformlycut `fromV the cob-land'asjhas been mentionedsometimesth'e ear is canted so much the line.

alignment of the ears is highly important with av that it gets crosswise in the cutter head and requires considerable time to remove it Yduring which time the advancing stream of corn is constantly piling up and causing stoppage al1 along As has also been mentioned accurate rotary head cutter, and is not nearly so important with Vstationary cutter heads where the cutters In :the non-rotating heads Ythere are vno centrifugal forces set up in the mechanism ,of the stationary heads as is the case in the rotary' heads, 4the cutters and gauges only are expanded ,as the ears enter the cutters, and it makes littlel difference Whether the ear is nely aligned or not,V

theonly speed in the'entire operation is the movement of the ear itself and because of this the ear Acan correct its `alignment as it enters the gauges and cutters and passes through the cutters in proper cutting relation.

Withthe `rotary heads -of the ltyperof machine v shown inthe present application; the'cuttersrand gauges are controlled Vin theirexpansion Yby cen` trifugal forces e against .themtensionof "the Icompression springs I 8.; `T lie tension vof 'fthe vsprings is 4adjusted-soY that'the;y cutters are-neld-infian equilibrium and open somewhat morethanshown l in Figs. .3 and 5. 4The result ofthecentrifugal forces being balanced bythe'springsis -thatwtheg cutters .and vgauges are very delicatelyfpoised while rotating atY Va high speed and the least touch Willopenjthe cutter circleand causeall-of the cutters and yg a;u ges.,to expand. On :gg-

count of the Vdelicate :poiseof the cutters and j gauges, the ear must enter thegauges and cutters in substantial axial alignment Awith-the center 4of rotation ofthe gauges andfcutters-else the` gauges and cutters will lbe undulyL expanded fandthe cutting circle too large with the resun; thatth Y first portion o fr. kernels Willnot-be properly'cut as to depth land thus much valuablercorn-lost .tothe `canner,whichWill moreory less pass Yaway with thecob.

Following the -rotaryeupter negri( just described is another rotary head of ythe Vsamel general type but instead of being ttedfwi-thgcutters the=blagdes are shaped to Vproduce a Vscraping-seiyfect -on fthe Y,

cob -toremove ,l any 'adhering yparts of 4kernels ,e1-,0,

scraping head is Yfurtherfor the-purposefof lcutting `what is termedV Creamerstyle :corn wherein tire nrstheaa is adjusted-.to cutoff-*the tops Vvof the kernels or possibly -one-fhalf of the Y kernelsfand then-as the c ob isiadvancedthrough thescrapinghead 'by the feed rolls between fthe a heads and the yfeedrollsv at-the outside of the y scraping head, ther pulp -remaininginthe partlyk -Crapedfrom the cob andimixed Whole g-rainycorn Where thekernels -arejcutjas close as possible to thecob withoutlooseningflthe` and .vv-ith this improved machine .abetterand to the canner 'a better pricejforfhis ,product f i. Y, In the operation :of lthesehigli "speed" machines .1rfisimpeeereihri;the-regresa @rgira head can be changed in a minimum of time and this improved cutter head is designed to permit of a very rapid change and replacement.

The center plate 1 of the cutter head, and the same for the scraper head, is quickly removable simply by hand and usually without the necessity of tools. Since this plate carries all of the cutters and gauges and all of the operating mechanism combined therewith, its complete removal from the ring gear 4 instantly removes all of the operative mechanism.

As has been described this plate 1 is held in v operative relation in the ring gear 4 by means of the locking dogs 9 riding on the surface of the plate 1. The ring gear is rotated in the direction of the arrow Fig. 3 with the result that the dogs 9 and pins 43 act as drivers and move the center plate 1 with the ring gear and by overlapping the plate 1 while resting on the surface I2 tend to hold the plate in axial adjustment with the ring gear.

To remove the plate 1 and all the attendant mechanism it is simply necessary to rotate the plate 'I counter to the direction of normal rotation in operation when the pins 43 will be moved away from the dogs 9 which will be caused to lie in the space 44 by swingingon their pivots l0, they will then not overlap the plate 1 which can be lifted bodily from its recess in the ring gear 4.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a green corn cutter, a rotary head assembly including cutter blades for removing the kernels from the cob, a ring member to which the cutter blades are pivoted, depth of cut gauges mounted directly on the shanks of said cutter blades and adapted to move in unison therewith, guide means Xedly secured to the cutter blade shanks and having interlocking engagement with the depth of cut gauges to hold them in a definite relation to the cutter blades, said guide means being offset from a radial line through the cutter blades so as to givefree and unobstructed movement o'f the cut kernels as they are thrown away from the cutters, and means providing relative adjustable movement between the cutter blades and the depth of cut gauges to thereby vary the depth of cut at Will.

FREDERICK W. SELOSKE. 

